WILMINGTON — Cynthia Tyler Wallis-Hill passed away peacefully under the care of Lower Cape Fear Hospice in Wilmington, North Carolina, on Monday, November 3, 2025.
Born on June 8, 1949, at Walter Reed General Hospital in Washington, D.C., she was the daughter of Lt. Colonel Chester S. Tyler and his wife Ethel (née Wood). The youngest of three girls, Cindy was a spirited tomboy who preferred the outdoors to her mother’s love of frilly dresses and banana curls. She grew up in Fairview Park, Ohio, and graduated from Magnificat High School in Rocky River before moving to Salisbury, Maryland, after her marriage in 1970.
Cynthia earned her degree in Social Work from Salisbury University and her Masters in Social Work from the University of Maryland at Baltimore. Her career began as a LCSW for the residential care organization Go Getters Foundation, Inc. in Salisbury. After relocating to North Carolina, she served as a clinical instructor and field placement coordinator at the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Social Work. In the later years of her career, she continued her lifelong commitment to helping others through her private grief counseling practice in Durham and Chapel Hill.
Cynthia was an extraordinary spirit-loving mother, partner, and friend. She was kind, thoughtful, compassionate, observant, understanding, and outspoken, and she loved deeply those who loved her in return. She was a warrior, a feminist, an ally, a confidante, and a (mostly objective) second opinion. To family and friends alike, she was a passionate source of encouragement – selflessly giving her time and energy to uplift and champion others. Gardening, cooking, long walks and her dog “Daisy” were some of her favorite indulgences. Her enduring curiosity and radiant smile are among the many things that those who knew her will hold in their hearts.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her sisters, Ann Tyler Gillett and Christine Tyler Young; her first husband, Harry “Chip” Wallis Jr.; and her husband of twenty-seven years, Thomas Diehl.
She is survived by her children, Stephanie Wallis Williams (Forrest) of Leland, L. Tyler Wallis of Hamlin, NY, and Courtney Hill of Raleigh; and her beloved granddaughters, Ella Wallis, Lyda Williams, Violet Wallis, and Anna Williams. She is also survived by her stepsons, Benjamin Diehl (Christine) of Boulder, CO, and their children Elise and Sutton; and Jason Diehl (Lisa) of St. Louis, MO, and their children Julia and Ryan. Cynthia leaves behind many nieces and nephews across the United States who will remember her with love.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Cynthia’s name to the Alzheimer’s Association or Lower Cape Fear LifeCare.
A seaside celebration of life will be held on December 6, 2025.
